The present invention is concerned primarily with solar heating systems comprising reflectors or panels adapted to receive sunlight and to reflect or absorb the heat therefrom and to convey the same to a working fluid which is circulated through a system which generally stores the accumulated heat for subsequent use.
Such solar heating systems are most effective when they are focused directly towards the sun. However, this requires frequent manual re-focusing of the reflectors or panels during the year because the solar elevation is constantly and gradually changing over an angle of about 46.degree. during the year, particularly with respect to the location of the colder regions on earth where the benefits of solar heating systems are most needed.
Electronic alignment systems are known for the automatic tracking of the sun and for the continuous alignment of solar panels and reflectors in response to changes in the solar elevation and azimuth. However, such systems are too complex and too expensive to be practical for systems other than large commercial installations, such as office buildings, hotels, plants, and the like.